


We Are What We Are

by rainsoakedshoes



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Derek is a Good Alpha, F/M, minor/implied Scott McCall/Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 04:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3473759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainsoakedshoes/pseuds/rainsoakedshoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The smell of wolfsbane was thick in the air. It made Derek’s throat burn even before he opened the door and entered the room where Scott was lying on the floor.<br/>The sight of Scott and the smell of wolfsbane distracted Derek so much that he didn’t notice Victoria Argent until she was plunging a knife into his back. </p><p>***</p><p>or "What if Derek <i>didn't</i> bite Victoria that night?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Are What We Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jacyevans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacyevans/gifts).



> Title from The Woods by Daughter  
> this wasn't supposed to be a season 2 rewrite when i started it, but that's what it turned into.  
> the fic picks up at the tail end of _Raving_ (2x08) and focuses mainly on Derek and Allison and their relationship development while they try to stop the kanima.  
>  Peter and his influence on Lydia is touched on, but that's the extent of his involvement in the fic  
> also Derek's interactions with his pack (while admittedly minimal in this fic) were greatly influenced by a comment made on the sign up sheet for the exchange: "come on, his mother was Talia Hale". that's definitely something that got stuck in my head while i was writing this.

_We are what we are_

_Don't need no excuses_

_For the scars_

_From our mothers_

*

The smell of wolfsbane was thick in the air. It made Derek’s throat burn even before he opened the door and entered the room where Scott was lying on the floor.

The sight of Scott and the smell of wolfsbane distracted Derek so much that he didn’t notice Victoria Argent until she was plunging a knife into his back.

Derek turned and lashed out. He managed to knock the knife out of Victoria’s hand, but she was trained well and the wolfsbane in the air was affecting Derek. His fangs and claws slipped out as the wolfsbane made him lose control.

Victoria cried out as Derek’s claws pierced her side. The pain was all the distraction Derek needed. He threw her harshly backwards and Victoria hit her head against the wall before slumping to the ground like a ragdoll.

Derek’s chest felt like it was on fire, but his hooked his hands under Scott’s arms and dragged the younger werewolf out of the room.

*

In the back of Deaton’s clinic Scott pulled himself up into a sitting position.

“How are you doing?” Derek asked.

“My chest hurts,” Scott admitted. “But other than that, I’m fine. How’s everyone else?”

“We couldn’t stop Jackson from killing a girl,” Derek said. “But we all got out okay.”

There were a few beats of silence then Derek spoke again. “Allison told the hunters it’s Jackson, didn’t she?”

Scott nodded.

“And her mother showed up and tried to kill you,” Derek continued.

Scott nodded again. He didn’t look at Derek.

“You’re going to have to tell Allison what happened tonight, you know that don’t you?”

Scott finally turned to look at Derek. “No! I can’t!”

“You have to,” Derek said.

“Why?” Scott demanded.

“Don’t you think she deserves to know the truth?”

“Since when do you care about telling people the truth?” Scott countered.

Derek shrugged. “You _don’t_ think she deserves to know the truth then?”

Telling Allison the truth would either alienate her from her family, or from the pack. Derek would be lying if he said he couldn’t see the upside to both those outcomes.

Scott’s brow furrowed. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

“Too bad her family don’t have the same concerns about you.”

The young werewolf looked up at Derek. “If I call and ask her to come here, will you stay? She trusts me, but I think having someone else to back me up will help. Even if it’s you.”

Derek nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

*

The glare that Allison levelled his way many have been intimidating if Derek hadn’t been subject to Kate’s wrath in the past. The younger Argent still had a way to go before she lived up to her Aunt’s ferocity.

However her glare did work a little on Scott, who took several small steps away from her.

“My mother tried to kill you,” Allison said. It wasn’t a question, she was just repeating the accusation back at the two werewolves.

“With wolfsbane,” Scott nodded. “She said it would have looked like an asthma attack. If Derek hadn’t shown up I would have died.”

Allison shifted her attention back to Derek. “What did you do?”

“Your mother stabbed me in the back so I clawed her in the side and shoved her against a wall,” Derek said simply. He didn’t break eye contact with Allison. “Then I got Scott out of there and we came to Deaton’s. I called to make sure my betas were okay and stayed with Scott until Deaton gave him the all clear.”

Allison’s mouth pulled down into a frown and she bit the inside of her cheek. “No,” she said. “Why would I believe you?”

“Why would we lie?” Derek asked before Scott could answer. “You know how much your family hates what we are. Does it really surprise you that your mother would try to kill Scott?”

Allison crossed her arms and tried to catch Scott’s eye, but Scott stared fixedly at the ground.

“Believe us or don’t,” Derek continued with a shrug. “I’m sure your mother can tell you the truth.”

Allison reached out, like she wanted to touch Scott, but then brought her arm back down, her fingers curling into a fist. Scott shrunk back a little further.

Allison swallowed hard. “How are you going to stop Jackson?”

The abrupt change of subject threw Derek a little bit. “I don’t know,” he admitted.

“Maybe you should leave it to my family,” Allison suggested.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Scott added.

“Why?” Derek asked. “Because the Argent’s plan worked so well tonight? I’m the one who turned him, this is my fault. I don’t know how to stop him yet, but I’ll figure something out.” Allison opened her mouth but Derek interrupted before she could ask anything else. “Scott, you should go home. You need to rest and heal.”

Scott nodded. He gave Allison a tight smile before walking out of the clinic.

Once Scott was gone Allison pulled herself up to her full height and squared her shoulders. She locked eyes with the alpha. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Derek gave another small shrug. “I could say the same thing to you.”

*

It took Allison most of the next morning to work up the nerve to ask her mother about what happened at the rave. She wasn’t sure what answer she was hoping for from her mom. Either her mom had tried to kill Scott, or Scott was lying to her.

Victoria was sitting in the living room on one of the couches. She had her feet tucked up underneath her, a coffee cup sat on the side table, and she was marking student’s papers. A lump formed in Allison’s throat. The sight before her was so normal.

Allison took a deep breath to keep her voice steady. “Mom? Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Victoria set the paper she was marking aside. “Of course. What is it?”

Allison walked around so she was standing in front of her mother. “I spoke to Scott and Derek Hale last night.” Victoria’s eyes narrowed, but Allison ploughed ahead before the older woman could say something. “I know I’m not supposed to be in contact with Scott, but they had something important to tell me.”

“Is it about the kanima?” Vitoria asked. “Is this something your father and Gerard should hear?”

Allison shook her head quickly. “No,” she said. “No. This is about you. Scott said that you tried to kill him last night. He said you tried to make it look like an asthma attack and if Derek hadn’t of saved him he would have died.”

Victoria’s jaw clenched and she stood. In bare feet her daughter had a height advantage, but Victoria was still a force to be reckoned with. “You believe what Derek Hale tells you?” She managed to make Derek’s name sound like a slur.

“That’s why I’m talking to you,” Allison said. “To hear the truth about what happened last night.”

Allison maintained eye contact with Victoria. She refused to look scared or weak. If she could look Derek in the eye and not shrink back, then she could do the same with her own mother.

When Victoria didn’t say anything Allison decided to just ask the question outright. “Did you try and kill Scott and stab Derek last night?”

“Allison,” Victoria started slowly. “Scott is a monster. All werewolves are.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Allison pointed out. She still didn’t break eye contact with her mother.

“I can’t believe you’re letting these…things pollute your mind with-”

“Mom!” Allison interrupted. “Derek said he clawed you in the side after you stabbed him when he was trying to save Scott. Just show me your side and prove that they’re lying.”

Victoria put a protective hand against her side. She showed no signs of being in pain, but Allison knew that didn’t mean her mother was uninjured.

“Show me,” Allison requested again, even though she knew now what she would see.

Victoria reluctantly lifted her blouse to reveal white bandages wrapped around her middle. There were faint pink spots where the blood from the wounds was soaking through the layers of gauze.

“They’re _monsters_ ,” Victoria said, lowering her shirt again.

Allison opened her mouth then closed it again. Her eyes slipped shut and she took a deep breath in through her nose to compose herself. When she opened her eyes again Allison’s voice wavered a little.

“I have to go get ready,” she said. “Lydia is coming over to try on outfits for her birthday party. I need to pretend to be a normal teenager with a mother who didn’t try to murder her friend.”

Allison turned on her heel and left the room.

Both Argent women noticed how Allison referred to Scott as her friend and not her boyfriend. Neither of them commented on it.

*

“Allison, are you okay?” Lydia asked. She had just finished trying on her second dress to find her friend sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Allison looked up and tried to give Lydia a smile, but she knew that it wasn’t very convincing. “How have you been?” A pang of guilt went through Allison, she’d basically been ignoring Lydia for the past two weeks.

Lydia shrugged and her lips curved up into a smile that was only marginally more convincing than Allison’s.

Allison laughed sadly and shook her head. “We’re a matching pair. What’s been bothering you?”

Lydia resisted the urge to bite her lip and ruin her lipstick. “I’ve been having nightmares,” she said. “About the night I got attacked.”

“I thought you didn’t remember anything about what happened?”

“I don’t. I mean, the nightmares aren’t real.” Lydia turned to assess herself in Allison’s mirror. “They _can’t_ be real.” It was obvious Lydia didn’t entirely believe what she was saying.  

“What kind of nightmares?” Allison prodded.

This time Lydia did bite her lip. “There’s this man…” Lydia trailed off, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s stupid. What’s going on with you?”

Allison hesitated. She couldn’t tell Lydia the truth; that her mother had tried to kill Scott and Derek the night before. Or that Scott and Derek were at the rave because they were trying to stop Lydia’s ex-boyfriend who was a giant lizard murdering people.

“My mom’s just been giving me a really hard time about Scott,” Allison said finally. “She’s going overboard.”

“Your parents really don’t want you to be with him, do they?” Lydia unzipped the dress she was wearing and reached for the next one. “Do you have any idea why?”

Allison shrugged. “I guess they think he’s a bad influence or something.”

Lydia slipped out of her dress completely. She was more than comfortable being around Allison in just her underwear. “Come on,” she said. “Enough talk about nightmares and Scott, we still have a lot to do before the party.”

*

Allison decided against asking why Stiles had the numbers of several drag queens. The why didn’t really matter in the end anyway; between Scott and Stiles calling in everyone they knew Lydia’s party was soon pumping.

Even though the party was shaping up to be a big hit, Allison, Scott and Stiles were still on edge. Allison was constantly checking to see who was coming into the party, while Scott and Stiles were basically glued to each other’s side.

There was no sign of Jackson. Scott talked to all the guys on the lacrosse team, but none of them had seen or heard from Jackson.

Allison wandered around the party. She wasn’t avoiding talking to anyone, but she didn’t go out of her way to speak to people either. So many thoughts and feelings were swirling through her brain she found it hard to focus on any one thing.

Allison was worried about Jackson and whoever was controlling him, and what their endgame was. She was worried about her grandfather and her parents. She was worried about Derek turning teenagers into werewolves. And she was worried about Scott. She felt like she should talk to him, but she had no idea what to say.

From across the pool Allison watched as Lydia pressed a glass of punch into Scott’s hand. Scott smiled at Lydia and accepted the drink. However before he could drink any of it his phone rang.

Allison walked around the edge of the pool towards Scott. Over the music and people talking Allison still managed to hear snippets of Scott’s conversation.

“No sign of him here...Yeah…Sure, I’ll be right there.”

Scott put his untouched drink down on the table beside him, then left.

Allison quickened her pace and followed him. She left her own drink on one of the tables inside the house, then slipped outside after Scott.

*

Derek’s eyes narrowed as he looked over Scott’s shoulder. “What did you bring her for?” When he’d heart two heartbeats he’d assumed Scott had brought Stiles with him. The last thing Derek had expected was Allison in wedges and a floral dress following behind Scott.

“What?” Scott turned around and was genuinely surprised to see Allison. “I didn’t bring her. I thought I’d left everyone at the party.”

Allison ignored the fact that the two werewolves were talking about her and strode forward towards them, as though her heart wasn’t beating like a drum.  

“I’m here to help,” Allison said. “Two against three didn’t sound like a fair fight.”

“Help,” Derek repeated. “They don’t need a bullet through their heads.”

“All I have are knives.” Allison produced her ring daggers from the inside pocket of her jacket. “Your claws could probably do more damage.”

Derek looked Allison up and down, his features twisting into a scowl. “I don’t want you anywhere near them. Not right now.” Then he turned and climbed back into the train carriage. He didn’t clarify whether he wanted her to stay away for her own safety, or for the safety of the betas.

Scott gave Allison a sympathetic shrug, then followed Derek into the train carriage.

Allison lingered by the door of the train. She could see Scott kneeling in front of Isaac, and further down the carriage Derek standing in front of a snarling Erica and Boyd. Allison respected Derek’s wishes and didn’t come any closer, but she made it very obvious that she wasn’t about to leave either.

Isaac was the first to gain some control. Derek came over to kneel beside Scott in front of Isaac. 

“You’re doing really well,” Derek praised. He checked that the chains holding Isaac were still secure. “You found an anchor?”

Isaac nodded stiffly. “My father.”

“He used to lock you in a freezer as a punishment.”

“He didn’t used to,” Isaac said.

“Your anchor could change,” Scott added. “Mine did.”

“It did?” Derek asked, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them.

Scott shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Allison. “Stiles is what kept me in control tonight.” He didn’t offer any further explanation.

Derek stood so he could go back over to Erica and Boyd, then he paused. He turned and looked at Allison, an unreadable expression on his face. Allison didn’t know what to make of the moment, so she just stared back at him. Finally the alpha was the one to break eye contact, and strode to the back of the train car, his shoulders tense.

*

Derek and Scott managed to keep the other three betas under control. Allison stayed near the doorway of the train car, watching as Derek coached the teenagers through finding their anchor and trying to gain control over their shift.

Between the snarling werewolves and rattling chains Allison didn’t hear the _click, click, click_ of high heels echoing off the concrete until the sound was right behind her. Allison turned and her brows drew together in confusion.

“Lydia?” She asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Lydia?” Derek repeated.

The alpha left Scott with Boyd and Erica, and jogged out of the train car.

“Lydia, what’s going on?” Allison asked.

The redhead ignored her friend, instead she faced Derek, a small smile on her lips. She brought up her closed fist – palm up – then unfurled her fingers to expose a small pile of purple powder in her hand.

Lydia blew the powder into Derek’s face, coating the werewolf’s face and the floor around them in a fine dusting of powder.

Derek hit the ground like a sack of bricks.

The noise got Scott’s attention and he stepped out of the train car to join them. “What the hell, Lydia?” Scott demanded. He recognised the smell of the powder then turned to Allison. “Why does she have wolfsbane?”

“What makes you think I know?” Allison asked. She looked at her best friend, but Lydia seemed completely oblivious to her and Scott’s presence. The redhead was solely focused on the now unresponsive alpha.

Allison knelt beside Derek. She pressed the tips of her fingers to his neck and found herself praying for a pulse. Derek’s breathing was shallow, but his pulse was strong against her fingertips.

“Lydia, what are you doing?” Scott asked.

Lydia didn’t reply. She bent and grabbed one of Derek’s legs, and started to drag him away.

“What the fuck is going on?!” Scott exclaimed.

Lydia was muttering something under her breath. “I have to. He told me I have to.”

Allison stood. She walked over to stand beside Lydia, and put a hand on the shorter girls shoulder to stop her from moving for a moment. “Lydia, is this about the dreams you’ve been having? Is this about that man?”

Lydia’s head snapped up. She was staring at Allison, but it was as if she was seeing straight through her. “There’s no other choice.”

Scott was trying to pry Lydia’s hand off of Derek’s leg, but her grip was unusually strong and Scott didn’t want to hurt her.

“Stop,” Allison said to Scott.

“Why?” Scott asked. 

Allison waved a hand in front of Lydia’s face; Lydia didn’t react at all. She showed no signs of realising Allison was even there. “I don’t think she’s totally in control of herself,” Allison said.

“What do we do?” Scott asked.

Allison looked down at Derek, then back to Lydia. “Maybe we should just let her take Derek and see what the hell is going on?” She suggested. “Maybe if we get a better idea of what’s happening we can stop it.”

Scott took his hands off Lydia, and Lydia automatically started to drag Derek again.

Scott’s mouth pulled down into a frown. “I don’t like this,” he said.

“I know,” Allison replied. Her eyes were locked on Derek’s slack face. She didn’t particularly like it either, but they had to figure out what was going on.

*

Neither Allison nor Scott knew where Lydia would lead them, but if they’d had to guess, the Hale house would not have been at the top of their list.

“This can’t possibly get any weirder,” Scott said.

The beta helped Lydia get Derek into the house, although Scott and Allison both suspected Lydia would have been more than capable of completing the task by herself.

Scott and Lydia deposited Derek next to a hole in the floor boards. Scott looked down into the darkness and stiffened.

“Okay, I take it back. Things are definitely weirder.”

“What’s going on?” Allison asked. She walked over to stand next to Scott and looked down into the hole. Her eyes went wide. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded.

They were staring down at Peter Hale’s naked and burned body, although it was far less damaged than it should have been, all things considered.

“This stops now,” Scott said.

Allison didn’t object. She knelt beside Derek and pressed her fingers to Derek’s neck to make sure that his heart was still beating.

Derek’s eyes blinked open slowly. It took a moment for his eyes to focus on Allison.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Allison admitted. “But we’re going to stop it.” She ran a hand through Derek’s hair without really thinking about it.

Derek let his eyes fall shut again. The smell of wolfsbane, dirt and decay filled his nostrils and made his stomach turn. The sensation of Allison’s fingers in his hair put him more at ease than it should have, which resulted in another pang of anxiety for Derek.

Scott stopped Lydia from rearranging the mirrors that were bouncing moonlight around the room. He wrapped his arms around her and held her back to his chest to stop her from moving. When she started to struggle, all his instincts told him to let her go, but he held her tighter. Whatever she was trying to do wasn’t good.

Derek opened his eyes again. He tried to sit, but his head was still fuzzy from the wolfsbane. He allowed Allison to help him into an upright position.

Derek looked around the room, and his eyes fell in the hole in the floorboards beside him. He leaned over slightly, bile rose in the back of throat as he saw his uncles’ body. He closed his eyes briefly to compose himself, then opened them again and sat back up properly.

“Bring her here,” Derek told Scott.

Scott did as he was asked. He knelt down in front of Derek, and Lydia moved him with much less resistance than any of them had been expecting.

Lydia was muttering to herself now, spurting almost nonsensical words about how she had to do it; that it was the only way.

Derek’s eyes glowed red and the sight seemed to shock Lydia out of her blabbering. “Is Peter making you do this?” He asked.

“I have to,” Lydia said. “I have to.”

“What’s going on?” Allison asked. She was still kneeling beside Derek, her hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t know,” Derek admitted with a shake of his head. There was _so much_ that he didn’t know. “I think it has something to do with when Peter bit her.”

“Lyd’s,” Allison said softly. “Was Peter the man in your dreams?” Maybe this time she would get a proper answer. “Are you supposed to bring him back to life?” The words sounded ridiculous leaving her mouth, but the situation they were in was ridiculous.

“You knew about this?” Derek demanded, looking at Allison. 

“No!” Allison said. “I only knew that she was having nightmares, but she refused to talk about them. Will you _please_ believe that I’m not trying to kill you for, like, five minutes at least?”

Derek didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t shrug off Allison’s hand that had remained on his shoulder either.

“I have to,” Lydia said again quietly.

“We need to get out of here,” Derek said. He shifted away from the edge of the hole, and closer to Allison, who didn’t move back. “I don’t know what’s going on but it can’t be good.”

“What do we do about him?” Scott asked, nodding at the hole where he could just see Peter’s body.

“For now, we leave him to rot.” There was no trace of anger or malice in Derek’s voice; he sounded strangely calm. “Maybe we can get some more answers out of Lydia.”

“Speaking of Lydia, what do we tell her?” Allison asked.

The redhead in question wasn’t struggling against Scott anymore, she was sitting limply and staring straight through Derek.

Overhead a cloud moved across the full moon, pitching the small group into complete darkness.

“I think we should take her home,” Derek said. “If she’s feeling up for it on the way we can explain to her what’s been going on, and maybe get some answers.”

*

The further away they got Lydia from the Hale house, and away from Peter, the more she seemed to come back to herself.

Telling Lydia the truth of what had been happening ended up being more complicated than they thought. Allison, Derek and Scott alternated between periods of silence and talking over each other. Finally they settled on starting with the night Scott got bitten, and worked from there.

Lydia listened quietly and took in everything they were saying as best she could. She didn’t have any answers for why she had kidnapped Derek yet. Her hands were still coated in dirt and crushed wolfsbane.

*

The party was still in full swing when they arrived back at Lydia’s house.

“I want them out of here,” Lydia said. She sounded exhausted and was still holding onto Allison’s arm.

“Of course,” Allison said. She turned her attention to the crowd and raised her voice. “Everyone out!”

The crowd of people ignored her.

“Wait here,” Derek muttered. He stalked over to the sound system that was still playing music. He hit a few buttons until finally the music stopped. “Everyone out!” He yelled when people turned to ask what had happened to the music. Derek let a hint of a roar slip into his voice. “Now!”

Everyone moved at once. People dropped their glasses and pushed past each other as they tried to get away from the man who was glaring at them like he’d snap their necks if they argued.

Across the yard Allison gave Derek a small smile, which widened a fraction when, to Allison’s surprise, Derek returned the smile.

In all the commotion no one noticed the figure fall into the pool at first. It wasn’t until they started splashing and gasping “I can’t swim” that people noticed.

“It’s Matt,” Stiles said.

Scott, Derek, and several others moved forward after a moment of shock. However, before they could reach the pool, Jackson was kneeling down at the edge of the pool and pulling Matt up out of the water.

Matt stood, shaking and dripping wet. “What?” He demanded as people stared at him. His anger and embarrassment was almost tangible. His hands curled into fists and he stormed away.

“That was weird,” Stiles muttered.

The sound of Allison’s phone ringing broke the silence that followed Matt leaving.

Allison saw the caller ID and frowned. “Hey, dad.” Everyone turned their attention to Allison. She wrapped her free arm around herself protectively and dipped her head. “Yeah, I’m still at Lydia’s. The party just broke up actually. I think that I’m going to stay here the night.” Allison nodded a couple of times and made affirmative noises. “Okay. Love you too.”

Allison hung up, then switched off her phone.

Scott looked around. The yard was empty now save for them. “Guys, did anyone see where Jackson went?”

Everyone else looked around as well. Jackson was nowhere in sight.

Derek swore under his breath. “We need to find him. Now.”

“You need to get back to Erica, Boyd and Isaac,” Scott said.

Derek looked like he was about to argue, then Allison stepped forward. “Go check on them. We’ll find Jackson.”

Derek bristled a little at being told what to do by the two teenagers. However he didn’t get a chance to actually argue with them. Allison and Scott turned their backs on him, and Lydia and Stiles followed.

*

The street outside of Lydia’s house was pandemonium as teenagers organised how they were getting home. Kids were fighting over who was driving, and others were standing in the middle of the street waiting for taxis’. People were yelling out for their friends, some were doubled over throwing up their drinks.

In the crowd Allison thought she spotted Jackson and went after him, separating herself from the others.

However before Allison could reach Jackson, Matt was in her face.

“Hey, Allison,” Matt said.

Allison gave him a tight smile. “Hey, Matt. Listen I’m a little busy, can we talk later?” She peered over Matt’s shoulder, but she’d lost sight of Jackson.

The smile on Matt’s face dropped and he levelled a cold glare at Allison. “Busy? What are you busy with? Looking for Jackson, maybe?”

“How do you know that?” Allison asked.

“I’ve learned quite a few things lately,” Matt said, a strange smile on his face.

“I really have to go.” Allison tried to push past Matt, but then a hand wrapped around her bicep and held her still.

Allison turned, expecting to see Scott or even Derek, but instead she came face to face with Jackson. Allison’s breath caught in her throat. Half of Jackson’s face was green and scaly, like he was half way through shifting. Allison tried to pry her arm away from Jackson, but Jackson’s grip was vice-like. Jackson brought up his other hand to show her his claws that were dripping with venom.

“Do you have time for me now, Allison?” Matt asked.

Allison tore her eyes away from Jackson and looked at Matt. “What do you want?”

Matt pretended to consider her question for a moment. “How about we take a drive?”

Jackson’s grip on Allison’s arm didn’t let up as Matt marched her towards her car. Matt forced her into the drivers’ seat, then climbed into the passenger’s side, while Jackson climbed in the back.

Allison gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. She didn’t notice Derek on the other side of the street watching her in confusion as she pulled away from the curb.

Matt told her which roads to take away from Lydia’s house, but other than that he didn’t talk.

“Why are you doing this?” Allison asked.

“Remember when I said I wasn’t the type to say ‘ _if I can’t have her, no one can_ ’? Well, I lied.”

Allison tasted bile on the back of her tongue. “That’s not what I meant,” she said. “Why use Jackson to kill people. Isaac’s father and the others?”

“Because they killed me!”

Allison was proud of herself for not flinching. “What does that mean?” she asked. “How did they kill you?” She was quiet for a moment as all the pieces clicked together in her mind. Jackson refusing to get in the pool that night at the school to attack Derek and Stiles, Matt’s reaction when he fell in the pool. “Did you drown?”

Matt slammed his hand against the dashboard. “He shouldn’t have let them drink!”

“Who?” Allison asked.

“Lahey!” Matt shouted. “And the swim team! I didn’t know what was happening! I didn’t know that they’d just won state!”

“You were at Isaac’s,” Allison said quietly.

“We were going to trade comic books.” Matt let out a humourless laugh. “Lahey had some of his favourites over, he let them drink, who cares that they’re only seventeen, right? Everyone’s having a good time. Some of them jump in the pool, then Camden, Isaac’s jarhead brother, picked me up.”

“They threw you in.” Allison’s voice was barely a whisper.

“I kept screaming that I didn’t know how to swim,” Matt said. “But they didn’t listen.”

Allison glanced over at Matt. He was caught up in his own story, barely paying attention to what she was doing. In the backseat Jackson had taken his hand off the drivers’ seat and was looking at Matt. Neither of the men were wearing their seatbelts.

Matt didn’t notice Allison accelerating until it was too late. “What are you doing?” He demanded.

Allison didn’t reply. She swerved sharply off the road into the trees.

The car hit the tree with a sickening crunch of metal and breaking glass. The impact sent Matt and Jackson flying into the windshield and the drivers’ seat, respectively. Allison had braced for the collision, but the airbag had deployed, and as it deflated she could feel blood trickling out of her nose.

Allison forced the car door open and climbed out on shaking legs. In the passenger seat Matt was slumped over, blood running down the side of his face from a gash on his head.

Allison felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, thinking for a moment that it was Jackson again. However this time when she turned around it was Derek looking at her.

“Are you okay?” Derek asked.

Allison nodded even though her hands were shaking. “It’s Matt. He’s the kanima’s master.” She paused. “Why are you here?”

Derek took his hand off her shoulder and took a step back. “I saw you leaving with someone and I thought that was odd, so I followed you.”

Allison smiled and ducked her head. She used the back of her hand to wipe away the blood dripping from her nose. “We should call Scott and the others,” she said quietly.

Derek nodded. He pulled out his phone and quickly composed a new text message, telling Scott where they were and that it was Matt they were after, then sent it.

There was a crunch of metal as the back passenger side door opened and Jackson climbed out. Derek stepped in front of Allison, putting himself between the two teenagers. However, for the time being, Jackson didn’t seem to be interested in them.

Allison and Derek watched as Jackson wrenched the front door open and Matt got out. Matt seemed a little unsteady on his feet, but then he wiped the blood from his eye and levelled a glare at Allison and Derek over the top of the car.

Derek kept his eyes trained on Jackson, determined not to let the kanima get the upper hand again. Allison wondered if she could get her weapons from the trunk of her car before Matt ordered Jackson to attack.

 Matt’s glare cracked and gave way to the same unnerving smile he’d had earlier. “It’s Derek, isn’t it?”

Derek made a low growling noise in the back of his throat and took a step forward. Allison touched Derek’s arm and he halted.

“Oh, don’t act like that,” Matt continued in a teasing voice. “I told Allison that I’ve learned a lot lately. I know all about you and your little pack.”

Derek growled again. His eyes glowed red and he let his fangs slip down. Allison kept her hand on Derek’s arm as she moved out from behind him and stood next to the alpha.

Matt turned his attention to Allison. “So that’s your type?” He asked. “Werewolf?”

Neither Allison nor Derek replied to that.

Matt tilted his head a fraction towards Allison and Derek. Before either of them could move Jackson had rounded the car and was coming at them.

Derek pushed Allison back again, but she didn’t move easily. Allison wasn’t ready to let Derek put himself between her and the kanima again.

When Jackson lashed out, Derek grabbed him by the forearm. Derek’s claws pierced Jackson’s skin, but it didn’t deter Jackson at all. The kanima lashed out again with his free arm; Derek caught that one too.

Allison and Derek were focused on Jackson and neither of them noticed Matt. The teenager moved around the car and came up behind Allison. He grabbed Allison by the arm and tried to drag her away from Derek.

Matt didn’t have the strength that Jackson had, so Allison was able to wrench her arm out of his grip. Allison didn’t stop there though, she twisted Matt’s arm back and forced him down onto the ground.

A car pulling up behind them got the attention of Derek, Allison and Matt, who was struggling to his feet.

At first Allison thought it might be Scott and the others, but then she turned and saw the car. She instantly recognised it as it belonging to her father.

Jackson used the distraction to his advantage. He wrenched his arms free of Derek’s grip, and before the werewolf could attack again Jackson sliced a claw along the back of Derek’s neck. Derek hit the ground hard with a grunt of pain.

Allison didn’t know where to focus her attention. Her eyes darted from Jackson, to Derek, to where her father and grandfather had climbed out of the car.

“It’s Matt!” Allison exclaimed. “He’s the master!”

At the sight of two hunters aiming their guns at him, Matt took off running into the woods. Jackson followed close behind him.

Without a word Gerard followed Matt and Jackson. Chris stayed where he was. He shifted his stance a little and aimed his weapon at Derek, even though the werewolf was lying on the ground paralysed.

Allison stepped between her father and Derek. “Don’t,” she said to Chris. “He was trying to protect me.”

Chris lowered the gun, but he didn’t holster it.

Allison was about to ask Chris what he was doing there, but then a second car pulled up. This time it was Stiles and Scott in the jeep.

“I told you all Matt was evil,” were the first words out of Stiles mouth as he climbed out of the jeep.

Allison pointed in the direction Matt, Jackson and Gerard had disappeared. “They went that way. Be careful, Gerard followed them.”

Both Scott and Stiles were watching Chris suspiciously, but the hunter didn’t say anything or defend his presence.

Scott walked over and stood beside Derek. “Are you okay?”

Derek nodded as best he could considering his situation. “I’ll be better once we make sure this never happens again.”

Stiles muffled a bark of laughter with his hand. The alpha’s answering glare would have been more intimidating if he had been able to move more than his head.

Derek hated being like this. He was completely defenceless; weaker than he ever had been before. He was dependent on the people around him. It didn’t instil a lot of hope in Derek that Chris still had his gun out.

Allison knelt down beside Derek. She had a hand on Derek’s bicep – a gesture that Derek was slowly becoming more and more comfortable with.

Scott looked at Stiles then nodded his head towards the woods. “We’re going to go see if we can find where Matt went.”

Derek and Allison both nodded, and the two teenagers headed out into the woods.

“Is someone going to explain to me what’s going on here?” Chris asked. “How did a teenage boy become the master of a kanima?”  

“I wouldn’t mind knowing what you were doing in a car with that maniac,” Derek added, and Chris made a noise of agreement which surprised all three of them.

Allison settled herself more comfortably next to Derek, and started recounting everything Matt had told her.

*

By the time Scott and Stile returned Derek had feeling back in his toes and finger tips.

“What happened?” Derek asked. “Where’s Matt?”

“Matt’s dead,” Scott said.

“There’s a stream that runs through the woods. It looks like Matt drowned,” Stiles explained.

“There was no sign of Jackson,” Scott finished.

Scott walked over to Derek and the alpha noticed that both Scott and Stiles’ jeans were wet. He glanced at Chris, then at Allison, then finally looked down at Derek.

“We need to get you out of here,” Scott said.

“Really?” Derek scoffed.

Scott rolled his eyes. “We need to get you out of here,” he repeated. “Then I need to talk to you. Alone. There’s some things I need to tell you.”

Derek’s brows knitted together in confusion, but the alpha nodded. “Sure. Just get me out of here.”

Scott hoisted Derek up, shouldering the alpha’s weight. Allison stood as well, brushing dirt off her legs and the skirt of her dress.

Stiles came over and took some of Derek’s weight. The two men managed to get the older werewolf into the jeep.

“Is everything okay?” Allison asked.

Scott nodded, but didn’t make eye contact. “There’s just some things I need to tell Derek.”

*

Allison crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Scott. “You think my grandfather is the new master?”

Scott scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest Matt was deliberately drowned, Stiles and I sure as hell didn’t do it, and there’s no way a kanima would kill its master so Jackson didn’t. Gerard was the only other one to follow Matt last night.”

“Why didn’t you just say this last night?” Allison asked.

“Your dad was there,” Scott said with a shrug. “Any way, we’re getting off topic. If Gerard is the new master we need to keep Jackson away from him.”

“How are we supposed to keep Jackson away from Gerard?” Stiles asked. “We don’t even know where Jackson is.”

The fact that Jackson had missed school, then failed to show up for the lacrosse game as well had everyone on edge.

Stiles, Scott, Derek, Allison, Lydia, Isaac, Erica and Boyd were huddled together in a far, dark corner of the student parking lot. Every now and again they would hear yelling and cheers from the lacrosse field where people were still celebrating Beacon Hills’ win. Scott, Stiles and Isaac were still dressed in their lacrosse gear.

“Maybe he’s already with Gerard,” Isaac suggested.

“Then we need to get him away from Gerard,” Scott said. “Lure him away or something. We keep calling and see if we can get through to him.”

“I don’t think we need to,” Allison said.

“What do you mean?” Scott asked.

“Think about it, Matt told me he was using Jackson to kill the people who let him drown, right? So what if Gerard is planning to use Jackson the same way? To kill the people he wants gone.”

“Your grandfather’s never had a problem with getting his hands dirty before,” Derek pointed out.

“He’s never had a weapon like Jackson at his disposal before,” Allison countered.

“So you think we just need to sit and wait and Jackson will come to us?” The alpha asked.

Allison nodded. “Who does Gerard want dead more than anyone else right now?” She asked, giving Derek a pointed look. “And Jackson was supposed to be your beta, using him to kill you would be,” she wrapped her arms around herself and gave a small shrug, “icing on the cake.”

A shriek of laughter from two teenagers passing by jolted the group out of their thoughts.

“Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else?” Boyd suggested.

Derek put his hand on his beta’s shoulder. “Yeah. Let’s take this back to the train yards.”

*

Every small noise around the train yards had the werewovles all looking in the same direction at once. After the fourth time it happened Stiles snapped.

“Can you stop doing that?!” the teenager demanded. “You’re freaking me out.”

“Stiles has a point,” Allison said. “It’s unnerving.”

“How do you think we feel having you carrying that around?!” Erica asked, pointing at the crossbow in Allison’s hand.

“I’m not going to use it on you unless you give me a reason to.”

“Will you all shut up?!” Derek shouted, interrupting Erica’s reply.

The teenagers all fell silent and looked to the alpha who was staring at the entrance of the building.

“What is it?” Isaac asked. “A car?”

Derek nodded. “Coming fast.”

There had been a few cars driving past the train yards, but they had all passed by without incident. However as the car got closer there was no mistaking that it was coming straight for them. It was heading for the building where they were all hiding.

They didn’t have time to hide or get out before an SUV was pulling in with a screech of tires on concrete.

The group recognised the car immediately. Derek swore and all eyes turned to Allison.

Allison kept her eyes glued on the car as Gerard and Chris climbed out of the front. Jackson emerged from the back of the SUV, already fully shifted.

“When you said we should wait for Jackson to find us, I didn’t think you meant that he’d track us here,” Erica said. The blonde werewolf took her eyes of the two hunters and Jackson to glare at Allison.

Allison returned Erica’s glare, then stormed over to her father and grandfather, stopping a few feet short of the two men. “What are you doing here?” She asked them. “How did you find us?”

“There are only so many places in this town where a werewolf pack could hide,” Gerard said. The old hunter took a few steps forward. He had almost casual air about him, he seemed completely unfazed about walking towards the angry werewolves. “And did you know Kanima’s have a fantastic sense of smell?”

Everyone’s attention shifted from the hunters to the kanima who was heading straight at Allison.

Allison raised her crossbow and fired. The bolt buried itself in Jackson’s shoulder, but did little to stop him or slow him down.

Allison sidestepped in order to reload her crossbow, and the kanima bowled past her towards the werewolves.

Derek charged forward to meet the kanima, taking the attention away from the betas.

Even after facing the kanima a few times now Derek still wasn’t used to how fast it was. The kanima’s claws swiped across Derek’s chest, then again across his side. Derek swiped back, but he managed to cause less damage.

The kanima caught Derek in the side again. It didn’t paralyse Derek, but it did send him crashing onto the floor.

Derek braced for the creature to attack again, however the kanima backed up and turned its attention to Allison.

Before Allison could raise her crossbow, or do anything else to defend herself, the kanima had a clawed had wrapped around her throat. Allison dropped her crossbow in surprise.

The change in attack took everyone by surprise, including Chris Argent.

The hunter turned to his father. “What’s going on? What are you doing?”

Gerard took a few more steps forward, grinning down at Derek. Derek remained on the floor, and the others were frozen in shock. The kanima moved around Allison so it was standing behind her, the sharp claws never left her throat.

“This isn’t going to involve a long fight,” Gerard said.

“What are you doing?” Allison demanded. Her words ended in a gasp as the kanima’s hand closed tighter around her throat.

“He’s doing what he came here to do,” Scott said.

“So you know?” Gerard asked. He turned his attention to the young beta. “It was that night at the hospital wasn’t it? You could smell it, couldn’t you?”

“He’s dying,” Isaac said.

“I am. I have been for a while now,” Gerard confirmed. “Unfortunately science doesn’t have a cure for cancer, but the supernatural does.” He looked at down at Derek whose eyes were glowing red.

“You monster!” Chris exclaimed.

“Not yet,” Gerard countered with a twisted smiled.

“What are you doing?” Allison asked again. This time her grandfather glared at her and the kanima’s hand cut off her air supply almost completely. She made a small choking sound and tears welled in her eyes.

“You’ll kill her too?” Chris asked in disbelief.

“For survival?” Gerard scoffed. “I’d kill my own _son_.”

Chris squared his shoulders and took a step back.

On the floor Derek was staring at Allison. He managed to catch her eye, he wanted to let her know that it would be okay but he wasn’t sure if his expression conveyed that.

Gerard looked back to Scott. “Scott, you know what you have to do.”

Scott’s eyes flitted between Gerard, Derek and Allison. With a determined look he strode over to the alpha. He grabbed Derek by the back of the neck and forced the older werewolf to his feet.

Derek pretended to fight Scott’s grip. They made enough of a show of it to convince Gerard, and the others, that Derek was going against his will.

This is what they had talked about. Scott knew that Gerard was sick and suspected that the hunter had a plan. Unfortunately for Gerard, Scott had a plan as well, a plan that he had let Derek in on.

Gerard using Allison as incentive wasn’t something that either of the werewolves saw coming. Seeing Allison standing rigid, with the kanima’s hand around her throat and tears threatening to spill from her eyes had Derek hoping that Scott’s plan worked.

Derek let his fangs drop and his eyes glow red again.

Gerard held out his arm expectantly and Derek clamped his teeth down on the elderly man’s forearm. Gerard’s blood tasted like poison and Derek pulled back as soon as he could.

Both Scott and Derek scrambled back as Gerard lifted his arm up and cheered in triumph.

The moment of euphoria for the hunter was short lived as the bite started to ooze black blood. He looked at Scott, then to Derek. Both of the wolves were grinning; they weren’t even trying to hide it.

Gerard’s face dropped. “What did you do?” he demanded.

“You weren’t the only one with a plan,” Scott said.

Gerard pulled out his pill case and emptied the pills out into his hand. He crushed the blue and white capsules in his palm.

“Mountain ash!”

“When it came down to trusting you or trusting Derek, your knife in my stomach kinda sealed the deal on that one,” Scott said.

Black blood poured from Gerard’s mouth and he was struggling to breathe. The old man dropped to his knees, coughing and spluttering.

Derek looked over to Allison. The kanima still had its hand around her throat, but the grip had loosened as it watched its master dying. Allison met Derek’s gaze. Allison’s eyes were burning with tears, but she had that familiar look of determination on her face. She gave Derek the slightest of nods so she didn’t antagonise the kanima.

On the floor Gerard coughed once the yelled as loud as he could. “Kill them! Kill _all_ of them!”

Derek returned the nod to Allison.

The two of them moved at the same time. Allison elbowed the kanima hard in the face. It wasn’t hard enough to really hurt it, but it was enough to daze the creature long enough for Derek to reach her.

Allison ducked under both the kanima’s and Derek’s outstretched arms and transitioned into a flawless tuck and roll. She righted herself in time to see Derek dodge a swipe of the kanima’s claws.

The kanima seemed to hesitate before swiping at Derek again. It had its orders from Gerard, but Gerard was on the floor in a pool of black blood and would clearly not be giving any more orders and wouldn’t be around to be the kanima’s master.

Derek on the other hand didn’t hesitate for a moment. He sunk the claws of both hands into the soft flesh of the kanima’s stomach. Without really thinking about it Derek lifted the kanima so its feet weren’t on the floor.

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Scoot, Isaac, Erica and Boyd were all partially shifted, waiting to see if Derek needed their help. Chris had his gun raised and aimed, but his finger wasn’t on the trigger.  Allison had retrieved her crossbow, although she didn’t have a bolt loaded and the weapon hung by her side as she watched Derek. Stiles and Lydia both stood off to one side; Lydia had a hand over her mouth and her muffled gasp echoed through the building.

The kanima’s features melted back into Jackson’s face. There was no trace of the lizard as the teenager’s blood poured over Derek’s hands.

Jackson let out a soft, choked off gasp, and Derek closed his eyes for a brief moment. He could feel Jackson’s heart slowing to a stop.

Slowly, Derek lowered Jackson back down onto the ground. He retracted his claws, hands still slippery with blood, and took a step back.

Two sets of footsteps moved towards him. The first were Lydia’s, who rushed past him to kneel on the cold concrete next to Jackson. The second set of footsteps belonged to Allison, who stopped by Derek’s side. She put a hand on Derek’s elbow, the leather of her glove warm against Derek’s skin.

Derek chanced a glance over his shoulder at the rest of the group.

Chris Argent’s eyes were flitting between Jackson, Derek, and his daughter suspiciously, but he had holstered his weapon.

Scott had his arm around Stiles’ shoulders, holding the human close. Both of them were watching Lydia.

The other three betas were standing together. Boyd was in the middle, his arm was around Erica’s waist, and his other hand was on Isaac’s shoulder. The three of them looked at Derek, and Derek gave them a nod. Eventually he would sit them down to talk, but this was not the appropriate moment.

No one paid any attention to Gerard’s corpse lying in a pool of black blood.

Lydia stood up slowly, her legs shaking. Her knee and fingers were stained with Jackson’s blood. She used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears, and took a deep breath. Lydia kept her eyes trained on the floor as she turned her back on Jackson.

Derek was the first one to hear it. The noise Jackson made was too faint for the two human girls to hear, and the other wolves weren’t close enough. 

At first Derek thought he was imagining things, but then it happened again. There was the softest intake of breath, the faintest heartbeat.

Derek took a step forward and Allison moved with him, keeping her hand on his elbow. He wasn’t sure if Lydia heard the next breath that Jackson took, or if she was just reacting to Derek’s movements, but either way she turned back around to stare down at Jackson.

When Jackson opened his eyes Derek let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

Jackson rose to his feet, eyes glowing blue. The teenager threw his head back and let out a howl. He lowered his head again and met eyes with Lydia. Lydia was smiling and rushed forward to Jackson again. Jackson enveloped her in a tight embrace.

Derek shifted the arm that Allison had her hand on back a little. Allison didn’t move away from him, instead she tucked herself more firmly against Derek’s side. Derek wrapped his arm around her shoulders and glanced down at her. Allison just shrugged as best she could and gave him a small, private smile.

*

Derek didn’t look up when he heard the sound of footsteps on the concrete behind him. Even over the smell of oil and blood he could recognise Allison’s scent.

“Shouldn’t you be at school?” Derek asked.

“I almost got my throat ripped out last night by my best friends’ boyfriend, who was being controlled by my grandfather,” Allison pointed out. “I deserve a little time off.” Before Derek could say anything else, Allison changed the subject. “You’re moving?”

Derek, who was bent over his trunks nodded. It was the first time he’d had to pack away all the chains from the full moon. “Away from here, at least,” Derek said.

Allison walked a little closer to Derek, stoping three feet behind him. “Where are you going?”

Derek shrugged, but didn’t give a verbal reply.

“I’m,” Allison paused. She walked around Derek and the trunk he was bent over so she was in his field of vision. “Are you ever going to trust me?”

Derek sighed. He rolled his shoulders, then finally looked up at Allison. “I don’t know,” he admitted.

“Do you want to trust me?” Derek simply nodded. Allison played with her necklace. “Is there anything I can do to help you trust me?”

Derek looked Allison up and down, then closed the trunk and stood up. “You came unarmed,” he said. “That’s a good start.”

“My bow and arrows are in my car.” Allison scuffed the toe of her shoe against the floor. “It was a last minute decision to leave them there.”

Derek cracked a small smile at that. He walked around the edge of the trunk so it wasn’t sitting in between them anymore. “I’ve been thinking about buying a place,” he said. “Somewhere more secure. Somewhere safer.”

“Thank you,” Allison said suddenly.

Derek’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Thank you? For what? For moving?”

Allison let out a small laugh and shook her head. “For saving Scott, for being there when Matt kidnapped me, for finally stopping the kanima, for everything that’s happened the past few days. I just realised I hadn’t said thank you for any of it yet.”

Derek looked past Allison to where Gerard’s blood still stained the concrete. “I killed your grandfather. I almost killed Jackson. I didn’t know he would come back.”

Allison reached out and took Derek’s hand in hers. Derek flinched a little in surprise, but didn’t take his hand back.

“Gerard would have had Jackson kill me,” she said. “And Jackson probably would have killed all of us anyway if he wasn’t stopped. So, _thank you_.”

Derek looked at the ground with a small, bemused smile. Without really thinking about it Allison kissed him on the cheek.

“Do you mind if I hang around for a little while?” Allison asked. “I know Erica, Isaac and Boyd are at school, so you could probably use a little company, and I’d rather be here than at home.”  

Derek considered Allison’s offer for a moment then nodded. “You can stay if you want to.”

Allison smiled brightly, then promptly sat down on top of the closed chest. “Great.”

Derek tried his best to sort through the chains and restraints and other things he had amassed during his short time at the train yards, but it was hard to focus when every time he looked up Allison was smiling at him.  Derek found himself returning the smile every time he glanced over at her.

**Author's Note:**

> I really, really hoped that you enjoyed reading this!


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